That’s unless lawmakers can come up with a plan to ease concerns about safety and overcrowding. Officials met Tuesday with a group of key stakeholders to discuss those issues.

Security, seclusion, restraint and staffing are among the issues laid out by a report to the state’s mental hospital. Federal officials said they’ll cut funding Sept. 2 if the state can’t come up with a plan to address problems. Legislators said a lot of the issues just can’t be resolved in a week.

“I think you should take advantage of bringing a reasonable solution here rather than a little solution and abandon it,” said J. Harper of the Disability Rights Center.

A group of mental health industry experts didn’t disagree that the state’s mental hospital has a number of underlying issues, but the challenge is deciding what to do to address all of them.

“I think we can’t forget that if you don’t have qualified people doing the jobs at hand, you get the results we see today,” said Rep. Mark Dion, D-Portland.

Hospital officials said they have vital positions for skilled workers that need to be filled, additions to the psychology staff that they feel could alleviate some concerns.

An option for lawmakers is already on the table – amending a bill that would open a mental health unit at the state prison. That would help ease overcrowding and address the security of workers.

“We’ve done this work on this bill when the Legislature was in session, but now given the federal concern over Riverview’s management, this take on much more importance,” Dion said.

Legislators said they may only be able to come up with a short-term plan for now.

Maine Attorney General Janet Mil said she’d like to see a committee formed to address the problem for the long term.

A member of the state appropriations committee hoped to finalize a plan by the end of the day to be voted on by the full Legislature at a special session Thursday. The plan would need federal approval.

SHOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COULD PULL THE PLUG ON 20- MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING FROM RIVERVIEW PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL IN AUGUSTA. THAT'S UNLESS LAWMAKERS CAN COME UP WITH A PLAN TO EASE CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY AND OVER- CROWDING AT THE FACILITY. TODAY IN AUGUSTA LAWMAKERS MET WITH A GROUP OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS TO DISCUSS THOSE ISSUES W-M-T-W NEWS 8'S KATIE THOMPSON WAS AT THAT MEETING SHE JOINS US NOW IN STUDIO WITH MORE. SECURITY, SECLUSION, RESTRAINT AND STAFFING ...THOSE ARE AMONG THE ISSUE'S LAID OUT BY A CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID REPORT TO STATE'S MENTAL HOSPITAL IN AUGUSTA. FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY THEY'LL CUT THAT FUNDING SEPTEMBER 2ND IF THE STATE CAN'T COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT THIS FEDERAL AGENCY APPROVES. BUT AS LEGISLATORS MET TODAY IT BECAME CLEAR THAT A LOT OF THESE ISSUES JUST CAN'T BE RESOLVED WITHIN A WEEK. "I think you should take advantage of bringing a reasonable solution here rather than a little solution and abandon it." A GROUP OF MENTAL HEALTH INDUSTRY EXPERTS DIDN'T DISAGREE THAT THE STATE'S MENTAL HOSPITAL HAS A NUMBER OF UNDERLYING ISSUES. THE CHALLENGE TODAY... DECIDING WHAT TO DO TO ADDRESS ALL OF THEM.. BEFORE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR RIVERVIEW PSYCHIATRIC CENTER IS LOST "i think we can't forget that if you don't have qualified people doing the jobs at hand you get the results we see today." THE HOSPITAL SAYS THEY HAVE VITAL POSITIONS FOR SKILLED WORKERS THAT NEED TO BE FILLED ...ADDITIONS TO THE PSYCHOLOGY STAFF THAT THEY FEEL COULD ALLEVIATE SOME CONCERNS. AN OPTION FOR LAWMAKERS IS ALREADY ON THE TABLE. AMMENDING A BILL THAT WOULD OPEN A MENTAL HEALTH UNIT AT THE STATE PRISON...HELPING TO EASE OVERCROWDING AND ADDRESS THE SECURITY OF WORKERS "and we've done this work on this bill when the legislature was in session, but now given the federal concern over riverview's management this takes on much more importance. TIME IS RUNNING OUT, AND LEGISLATORS SAY THEY MAY ONLY BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A SHORT TERM PLAN FOR NOW THE STATE'S ATTORNEY GENERAL SPEAKING UP AS WELL SAYING SHE'D LIKE TO SEE SOME SORT OF COMMITTEE FORMED TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS FOR THE LONG TERM. "i would ask that you continue to be involved. Whatever happens to ld 1515 don't drop the ball." A MEMBER OF THE STATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE HOPED TO FINALIZE A PLAN BY THE END OF THE DAY TO BE VOTED ON BY THE FULL LEGISLATURE AT A SPECIAL SESSION THURSDAY. IT'S THEN UP TO THE FEDERAL AGENCY TO APPROVE IT. LIVE IN THE STUDIO, KATIE THOMPSON WMTW